National Nurses United

J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y | M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 13 A s unionized nurse members of National Nurses United (NNU), we are constantly pushing against the treacherous headwinds of a health care industry that is relentlessly focused on prof- its. When I look at everything we have accomplished during this unprecedented pandemic for our patients and our commu- nities—steered masterfully and fearlessly by NNU''s executive board—I'm in awe. There's one value that stands true for myself, the leaders of NNU, and all the people who make up this organization: We believe that the only way to build union nurse power is to demand, organize, and fight for what we need to protect ourselves and our patients. NNU's activism builds on a rich tradition of militant nurse advocacy. The nurses unions that form our national nurses movement are renowned throughout the country and even the world for their willingness to speak truth to power, to counter the corporate forces that prevent nurses from providing the quality of care that patients need, and to back up those challenges with direct action. That means we have never—and will never—let our employers off the hook by trying to "partner" with management, as some unions do. That means we are prepared to strike for safe staffing and face off against union-busting corporate hospi- tals. That means we use our power through all the avenues available to us, from the bargaining table to the seats of federal, state, and local governments. It's this fearless attitude that has led to so many incredible wins over the past three years. Before we continue our righteous push to defeat corporate health care, let's take a moment to pause as we start a new year and enjoy all that we have accom- plished together. We protected ourselves and our patients against Covid-19. In the first three years of the pandemic, NNU nurses took incredible initiative for public health, winning essential protections like protective personal equipment and routine testing. And as a national organization, the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in the country, we won new regulatory standards and new laws to develop more robust protections against future public health emergencies to hold the corporate health care industry accountable to nurses and patients. After relentless advocacy involving every- thing from testifying in federal hearings to direct actions in our nation's capital and across the country to Minnesota Nurses Association President Mary Turner, RN, making President Biden cry, NNU nurses won a national emergency standard on Covid-19 in health care settings—a momen- tous victory since they are issued so infrequently that the last one was in 1983, almost four decades ago. Now, it's on the path toward permanency! States won standards victories, too. In California, CNA nurses won a new law that requires stockpiles of at least three months' worth of new, unexpired PPE in hospitals. We secured historic gains for tens of thousands of nurses in collective bar- gaining agreements, backed up by nurses' readiness to strike, and expanded our union numbers with fierce organizing. Huge numbers of us demanded major improvements in workplace conditions and staffing at our facilities, using the power of collective bargaining and willingness to strike to force concessions from our employers: More than 5,000 University of Michigan nurses settled a new contract after a whole summer of picketing and an overwhelming strike authorization Some 15,000 Minnesota Nurses Associa- tion members in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports went on strike and won new contracts Hundreds of determined Howard Univer- sity Hospital nurses represented by the District of Columbia Nurses Association won a new contract after a strike and nine months of negotiations 75,000 CNA/NNOC nurses at 120 facili- ties won strong contracts (and some, first contracts!) in 2022 and RNs at multiple facilities in California and Nevada went on strike Thousands of New York State Nurses Association nurses at two major New York City hospitals staged a high-profile strike, leading to historic contracts addressing staffing and significant economic gains Since 2020, National Nurses United affiliates have won dozens of new union elections covering thousands of nurses, organizing everywhere to build our power and prevailing against blatant union-bust- ing (and naysayers who said we couldn't possibly win), including in: • Asheville, N.C., at Mission Hospital, an HCA hospital in a staunchly pro-business, anti-union environment; • Portland, Maine, at Maine Medical Facility, the state's largest facility; and • Outposts in Tucson, Ariz., Longmont, Colo., Austin, Texas, Wichita, Kan. • Lansing, Mich. and Ishpeming, Mich. where Sparrow Home Care and U.P. Health System-Bell nurses, respectively, affiliated with Michigan Nurses Association • Oceanside, N.Y., where more than 800 nurses at Mt. Sinai South Nassau voted in January to unionize with New York State Nurses Association Despite this stunning list of accomplish- ments, we are under no illusion. The fight continues to provide care the way we know it should be provided—not the crisis stan- dards of care the industry is pushing as the new normal. I know we can win because of the tenacity of NNU members and the direction of our nurse leaders, who have put us in a position of strength. Bring it on. Bonnie Castillo, RN is executive director of National Nurses United. Bonnie Castillo, RN Executive Director, National Nurses United Growing Our Power Let's celebrate overcoming unprecedented challenges and fierce employer opposition

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